Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Heritage Front Blast From the Past: Christopher Newhook

Not long ago we posted two of a planned series of three articles concerning former Heritage Front member and eventually leader Marc Lemire (here and here). We will be getting to that third article soon enough, but life has a tendency to get in the way of one's plans.

However, we learned today about another former Heritage Front member and his, well, rather significant legal issues of late:

"I wish I could cut your (expletive) head off with a rusty hacksaw blade."

The Chronicle Herald was the only media outlet to have a reporter in the courtroom at the time.

Mr. Newhook, who is being sentenced for stabbing a man in the head two years ago in Halifax, also called Ms. Cogswell a maggot, parasite and goof and said her mother was a goof for having her.

Judge Bill Digby called for a recess and the two sheriff’s deputies assigned to the courtroom took Mr. Newhook downstairs to the courthouse holding cells.

When the dangerous offender hearing resumed 35 minutes later, a police officer had been posted in the spectators gallery and a third sheriff’s deputy stood guard over Mr. Newhook.

The defendant, who sat about three metres away from Ms. Cogs-well, maintained his composure for the rest of the day.

Outside court, Ms. Cogswell told reporters that she felt threatened by Mr. Newhook’s behaviour and would be giving a statement to police.

"Mr. Newhook has had violent, aggressive and very profane outbursts during the course of the proceedings, but today it became more extreme," Ms. Cogswell said.

"He was looking right at me as he was hollering the threats. As a result, I left the courtroom and made a phone call to the police department and indicated that I refused to go back into the courtroom until I had a police escort with me.

"Halifax Regional Police, no questions asked, sent down a police officer right away. And Judge Digby asked for and received an extra sheriff, and they’ll be in attendance for the rest of the hearing."

Police later charged Mr. Newhook with uttering threats and intimidation of a justice system participant.

Mr. Newhook, 40, has served four federal prison terms for violent offences in Ontario and has spent almost half his life behind bars. He has associated with skinheads and white supremacists and has committed many of his crimes against visible minorities.

An attack on a Vietnamese shopkeeper in Toronto in April 1989 left the man blind in one eye. Mr. Newhook also assaulted two black women on a bus in Toronto in September 1995 and an aboriginal man in Hamilton, Ont. in May 2000.

The evidence shows Mr. Newhook is a racist and a psychopath with alcohol-abuse issues whose risk of reoffending is so high that he must be locked up indefinitely to protect the public, the Crown argued during the hearing.

"Mr. Newhook is a threat to cause violence to anybody, anytime, anywhere and for any reason," Ms. Cogswell told the court.

On April 3, 2007, Mr. Newhook stabbed a man just above his right eye during a dispute in a North Street rooming house where he was living. Mr. Newhook thought the man had ratted him out to the landlord for making too much noise. He pleaded guilty that June to aggravated assault and possession of a knife and the Crown launched a dangerous offender application. The hearing sat for five days last May and two days this week.

Ms. Cogswell pointed out Tuesday that the stabbing in Halifax took place less than six months after Mr. Newhook was released from prison after serving an entire two-year sentence for a September 2004 assault with a weapon in Kingston, Ont. In that case, a rent disagreement led him to attack a man with a piece of wood and throw him through a plate glass window.

The defence wants Mr. New-hook declared a long-term offender, meaning he would receive a determinate prison sentence followed by up to 10 years of strict supervision in the community.

Lawyer Jean Morris said her client would be willing to complete programming and treatment in prison that would help him cope in the community while under supervision.

Judge Digby reserved his decision on the dangerous offender application until March 1.

Ms. Cogswell said she didn’t let Mr. Newhook’s outburst distract her from the job at hand.

"I felt scared and intimidated but at the same time I wasn’t going to back down from my legal position, which I needed to put forward," she said.

Crown attorneys have been pressing the province to install secure prisoner docks in courtrooms. Mr. Newhook was sitting on an open bench, with a sheriff on either side of him, when he went on his tirade.

"This is a circumstance that rears its head every day," Ms. Cogswell said. "I’m not very far removed from him in terms of where I sit. . . It’s a very dangerous situation that we work in.

"This is something that Crown attorneys across Canada have been saying for years, that we’re not safe enough in the buildings and in the courtrooms. This is a prime example. This is an old building and it’s not very safe, not very secure."

Justice Department spokeswoman Jennifer Gavin said precautionary measures were taken by adding the third sheriff to the courtroom.

She said the department would not be able to comment further on courtroom security Tuesday.

With Davene Jeffrey, staff reporter

We haven't heard much about, "the Tongue" in a few years, and we didn't even have a recent photo of him to post until the CBC article was published (the one on the left is from the early 1990s) but he does have quite a history and for a while was one of the more visible of the early Heritage Front membership. In addition to his most recent antics, Mr. Newhook is also infamous for his involvement in the following:

Heritage Front member in 1990s who engaged in assaults with Wolfgang Droege and Pete Mitrevski on anti-racists.

Subsequently convicted of assaulting police and possession of a dangerous weapon (a baseball bat with "SS" carved into it) and was sentenced to twelve months.

"Heritage Front tough guy, Chris "the Tongue" Newhook, is back in jail for violating his probation. Convicted after the June 1993 brawl with anti- racists, and was paroled at the end of 1994. Despite his brief freedom and a grim birthday party hosted by Ernst Zundel, "the Tongue" was picked up by the cops on Yonge Street for possession of weapons and narcotics."

Sentenced to three years for various assaults in May 1997.

However, he was a bit of a hero, at least to some in the White Nationalist movement. Bob Smith (a member of Don Andrew's Nationalist Party) even wrote a poem (which is God awful, by the way) in which Newhook is mentioned among the luminaries of the Canadian racist movement:

This Canada Week, just for a change, instead of the usual fareI thought I'd reflect on our progress up hereAnd the good people who got us there."The only thing needed for evil to win,is for good men to do nothing (at all),"Those were the words of Edmund Burke,and his namesake's Society's call;Always our rock, always our leader, who led us from Day OneTill racial awareness was a household wordDon Andrews got the job done.From the EBS to the Western Guard, to the Nationalist Party's epoch,He was there to man the trenches in frontHe talked the talked and he walked the walk.In a hotel, he, and music teacher Leigh Smith,and Paul Fromm were the original threelaid the EBS groundwork, for a group that would fightFor a Canada independent and free;

And later, in Ottawa, clad in greenDonna Upson caused quite a stir,Running for Mayor in the nation's capitalWas the one they called Baby Hitler.Let us pause in respect for fallen Wolfgang Droege,Led the Heritage Front, then was goneAnd the HF's Jim Dawson, and Ken Barker,They was a big men in more ways than one.Young Geza Matrai, from Hungary,and his daring feat, 'twas quite grandJumping onto commie Kosygin's back,and cried freedom for all captive lands.And John Ross Taylor, wise to the enemy's ways, of their deeds and cunning he'd preach;Longtime enemy of the reds and the Zionists,to them, quite a lesson he'd teach;He cornered them in the courtroom, with the truth that glowed like light;"Truth cannot be a defense" said these weasels;To his last hour he'd not relinquish the fight;There's the man of Allan Gardens,William John Beattie by nameWhen first he hung out the swastika here,free speech would ne'er be the same.

And the Latvian gent Armand Siksna, who would tolerate none who were rudeJim McQuirter, budding Klansman, quite famousAs a racist and a Sunshine Dude.Hats off to all the early stalwarts,serious Joe Genovese and Jaanus Proos;And to the ones who came later like Max French, who wasalternately staid and footloose;Mel McCready, from the Isle of Erin, irrepressible iron-willed boyPete Metrewski and the crew of young skinheadsWho made the reds and ARA holler "oy!"There was stoic and wary Jim Simpson,Bob Ruminski, with a grin ear to earLeo Jutting, the Australian adventurer,who knew the good life, good art and good beer;Gerry "Mad Dog" Doyle, a great friendA hero to the White Nationalist cause,Limey Stephen Hammond, now known as "Andrea"He's just not the man he once was.

...

And let's pause to also mention George BurdiAn activist and reverend too,In the flesh, and online and in printHe remained a white racist guru.There was Rod Young, who was there from the earliest days,Henrich Van Windt, also alongCaptain David Astle, a movement pioneer,Newshound David Sloan too, did belong,And from the sun-drenched British Columbia coastFred Woodward sent occasional dispatch,And in typing and spelling and clerical finnesseJanice Solary was truly unmatched.

...

There was a master of metals, Horst Gobbels,With a blowtorch, created beauty,There was young and sarcastic Tom Druery andRomana Andrewchuk, a Ukrainian cutieThere was Janice Arsenault, the Acadian,The HF's Chris Newhook, tough as can be,Dawyd Zarshansky, A.K.A. "Tarzan",His tough guy image fitted him to a "T";

...

From Canada's London, there is Martin K. WeicheA man we would occasionally come see,And Al Overfield, the only one of our bandWho could trace his line back to Tecumseh;There was Jeff Goodall, civil servantAnd the electronics whiz Michael Doyle,There was Donna Elliott and husband Wayne, a tree surgeon,made his living with saw, and in soil;And baseball-capped Jimmy Spearin, with a vision he would apply,A white traffic signal man, his idea;"White man says go" was his cry.

...

There was wrestling's Masked Marvel, Mr. Jack Prins,A kind man, and who always was heardAnd his spirited wife, Sabina,Who went sky-diving and soared like a bird;Gary Schipper, who played axe and railedof "hippie-crites", his passion would burn,And Gerry Lincoln, eclectically interestedIn cats, computers and in Howard Stern;And while we are talking performers,There's Rob Livingston and Janice and moreFlamenco guitarist John Thomas, who knewClassic Spanish music down to its core:There was Peter ("The Actor") Herod;Actor and male model Bob Mann contributed, too;There was Ilmar Kitsas and Urmas TomingProud Europeans both, through and through.

...

Imprisoned Brad Love, and Ernst Zündel,Caged men whose spirits are still free;Our Dale Gribble, John Morgan and also Russ Varey,Who amused with his flim-flammery.Let us not forget, let us mention honorablyOther stalwarts who should not be missed,Mr. George Barkhouse and Mr. Verner Cinis,the Latvian and anti-Communist.

...

There was the charming Marian McGuire,Who gave our image more polish and classGeorge Keeping and his brother, always ready for actionAnd willing to kick commie ass;Let us also remember Jack Morrison,From Social Credit's Ontario daysAnd the "Chosen One" novelist Eric Thomson;Was he really in the CIA's pay?

And let us include in this list Marc Lemireand Barbara Kulaszka, here, tooWho hung in against Orwellian tribunals andWould not flee at the enemy's first 'boo';

5 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Great post...these cats never change their stripes...check this asshole's profile on myspace... has toned it down, but do we really want his type flying helicopters? As of 4 months ago he was still wearing a kkk ring.

Hi,Great work,I have always been admiring guys who can write in that way.That text was also educational for me as I didn't know many people from, this article.btw. good idea to make a references to wikipedia.

Ah, Chris "Viking" Newhook. "The Tongue?" - 'Must be a reference to his lack of vulgarity control. The little man needs to grow up and come home. Neo-"nazis" really twist my guts, but I'll always have a soft spot for this person. If I had one thing to tell the man, it'd be: "Man up, Lay off the sauce, and have a chat with Jesus. Come home, we miss you."

Oh, the memories - the laughs. I've been wondering where and how he's been. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

"The Tongue" nickname is in reference to a series of letters he wrote from prison which described the things he said he could do with his tongue. I just recently stumbled on those letters while going through my old papers. Nasty shit. SO glad to hear he's gone away indefinitely.

The ARC Collective

Mission Statement

A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression.

For Those Who Wish To Contact Us

Our contact email is arc(dot)collective200(at)gmail(dot)com for anyone interested in getting in touch with us.

Awards

Best Political Blog: Third Place

Race Traitor by Elisa Hategan

At age 16, Elisa Hategan was an alienated runaway who became recruited into Canada's most powerful white supremacist movement, the Heritage Front. She was groomed by top leaders to become a rising star of the extremist far-right movement. An errand girl for notorious Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel, she was a witness to the illicit activities of an undercover CSIS agent and co-founder of the Heritage Front. At age 18, she turned against the group and spied on them for several months before testifying in court and going into hiding.